Exits.me — an Egypt-based fintech investment banking marketplace — raised $1m in a pre-seed round. The round was funded through UK-Based Exits.me, a group of notable Egyptian Angel investors, Baseeta Investments Holding and Mawelni Holding for Financial Investments, along with the company’s founders.
Founded in 2022 by Mohamed Aboul-Naga, Ahella Al-Saban, and Ayman Al-Tanbouly, Exits.me aims to facilitate M&As and investments in companies by offering a seamless and fully integrated online solution on its platform and a full-fledged financial advisory service.
Exits.me was acquired initially by PIE — a boutique M&A consultancy founded by Mohamed Aboul-Naga earlier this year. After releasing the BETA version of the platform, the team is currently working to transform it into a new platform to cater to a widely overlooked gap in the market for M&As and funding support among SMEs and start-ups in MENA.
“We want start-ups & SMEs who are off the radar of conventional investment banks to have a user-friendly and automated means of engaging in M&A and investment opportunities,” as mentioned by investor Omar Wagdy. The founders also explained that, today, businesses that investment banks overlook due to their smaller ticket sizes are finding it hard to get opportunities for investments.
The current ongoing market conditions, high fee markups, and retainer costs required by traditional investment banks are also making it even harder. This round is just the start needed to build this vision and bring investment opportunities to all classes in MENA.
According to global reports, the Middle East alone had over three times the number of exits when comparing 2012 versus 2018, and the numbers continue to grow at higher multiples. Additionally, as per a report by E&Y, MENA recorded 359 M&A deals worth $42.6bn in 1H 2022 despite global market volatility. The increase in M&A activity represents a 12% y-o-y rise in deal count. Driving these deals are the UAE, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Morocco, and Oman.
“Exits.me’s team expects to see continued growth in the need for M&A/funding across the region within the next three to five years, and this fresh capital to Exits.me will address this increasing gap,” said investor Omar Amer.
Already closing in multiple deals at a value of $110k pre-launch, Exits.me currently has 25+ signed active sell/buy side advisory mandates with 30 others in the pipeline totalling a value of $150-200m. The platform is also in the current procurement of its crowdfunding license from the Financial Regulatory Authority (FRA) to manage and arrange crowdfunding campaigns, which will open the door to a new investment product for MENA’s market, allowing anyone in any capacity to invest.
The founders aim to help the region by increasing investment awareness and spreading education on the importance of early investments in all verticals and business functions. Their view is that it is critical for all individuals from any background to be able to fully understand how to invest through digital means.
The Egyptian Angle investors involved include Omar Amer, Abdel Meguid Amer, Omar Wagdy, Adham Wagdy, and Ayman Essawy.
Whether you are looking to invest, fundraise, or sell/merge, you can now try out the BETA platform for free by creating a buy-side or sell-side account on Exits.me